P.—No. 5

28

PAPERS RELATING TO NATIVE SCHOOLS.

Enclosure 2 in No. 33. Eeiend, Me. White,— 19th March, 1872. This is a word we have to say to you about establishing a school at Ahipara. This is our idea. We will erect a church, to be used as school-house and our church. We will also collect money for the teacher to the amount of £40 a year. Tou must supplement this sum, that is, the Government must. But the house for the teacher, you must see to that; we could not manage it. Another thing is, we have given a piece of land for the school. From us, the chiefs of Ahipara, Timoti Puhipi Waka Rangaunu Taipari Maihi te Huhu Kingi Wiremu Wharewhare Hohepa Poutama Hare Nepia Kihiringi.

No. 34. The Inspectoe of Schools to the Hon. the Native Ministeb. Sic,— Wellington, 31st August, 1872. In continuation of my Report, dated Wellington, 25th July, 1872, I have the honor to report that I left Wellington for Otago on the 20th instant, arriving at Dunedin on the 22nd. After consulting with Mr. Watt, R.M., the gentleman in charge of Native interests in Otago, I proceeded, on the 23rd, to East Taiari and Tokomairiro, and inspected the school at the former place, kept by Miss Christie. I found the names of eleven pupils on the books, of whom nine were present in the school, in company with a somewhat larger number of European children, from whom they were scarcely to be distinguished. Their ages wore from four to twelve years, their appearance healthy and cleanly, and their progress in learning, such as was te be expected from their age, and the time that they had been attending school. They seemed to be attached to their teacher, by whom they appear to be treated with great kindness and gentleness. She receives but £4 per annum per pupil, for the average attendance, and I do not think a better arrangement could be made for their instruction,, as Miss Christie's school is in the neighbourhood of their Native reserve and kainga, and she seems to have their confidence. Returning on the 24th instant to Dunedin, I consulted with Mr. Watt as to the propriety of my visiting the schools in Southland, viz., those at Ruapuke, in Foveaux Strait, and Riverton, on the main land, when I was informed by him that he had, by your instruction, himself inspected those schools since your recent visit to Dunedin, and as the expense to Government had been from £20 to £30, it did not appear to me necessary that I should again incur so great an outlay after so short an interval, and, having telegraphed for your instructions, was informed that it was not considered necessary. On the 26th instant I accompanied Mr. Watt to tho chief settlement of the Natives at Otago Heads. The school is under charge of Mr. Walker, an experienced master, who receives a salary of £130 a year for himself, and £20 a year for his wife, who instructs the female pupils in needlework. There is a Church reserve, upon which the church, the school, and the schoolmaster's house are situated. The two former were originally built by the Natives, but the sum of £286 has been subsequently granted to erect the house, and to add to and improve the school. The reserve consists of ten acres. A small outlay of about £10 for school furniture, and £5 for painting the school is at present necessary, but I understood Mr. Watt to say that he has sufficient funds in hand for those purposes. The school was established on Ist January, 1871, but has been under the present master only since Ist January, 1872. The attendance is reported to be regular, and the conduct of the pupils quiet and orderly. I examined them in the usual branches of elementary instruction, and was satisfied with their progress ; the only language spoken is English, in which they conversed with me freely. The girls appeared to be well instructed in needlework, and to take pleasure in exhibiting their progress. There is a small charge of five shillings per quarter made against each pupil, which is deducted from the £130 paid to the master by the Government. As the amount realised thereby is so small I should recommend its not being required, but for the general opinion that the Natives, as a rule, value so much more anything for which they have to make a payment. I found the names of twenty-six pupils on the books, of whom eight were absent, viz., one, a son of Taiaroa, with his father at Wellington, two sick, and five absent without sufficient reason. The appearance of many of these children was, as at East Taiari, such as to scarcely distinguish them from Europeans, and it is evident that they have but a slight admixture of Maori blood. I conceive that in a few years it will be difficult to find a Maori in Otago. Returning to Dunedin I found that the teacher of the small Native school at Tipi-Tipi, near Waikouaiti, which I had arranged to visit on the following day, had left Waikouaiti for some days, and as the only steamer for some time for Welfington was to leave on the next day, and business pressed, I determined to return by her, more particularly as both Tipi-Tipi and a similar school, of which I had not previously heard (viz., "Brum's Point"), are under the supervision of Mr. Watt) I learnt from him that the last quarterly return from those schools showed an average of thirteen scholars at Tipi-Tipi, and eight at Brinn's Point, all of the latter being half-castes. The amount paid